arrellbee

OK. There have been a LOT of discussions about how folks are picking the 53 and the various tradeoffs. One thing that stands out is that there are SO MANY discussions and very DIFFERENT opinions in every category except QB and TE. From an overall viewpoint, is that telling us something ?

1) Is the possible player contribution depth greater this year ?

2) Or, when you get to the last 1 or 2 positions, is the player strength even enough that it's hard to figure out, but in fact that group of bubble players is weaker this year ?

3) Or is it one answer for some positions and the other answer for other positions ?

My possible take:

QB - stronger - Cassel is better - no veteran doesn't seem too negative
RB - stronger
OL - stronger presuming Koppen and Kaczur get back to 100%
TE - stronger
WR - presuming Branch is back - COULD be a little stronger ?? - not as veteran or as proven
....Last year - Givens, Davis, Dwight, Johnson, Sam, Terrell, Childress, Anderson
....This year - Caldwell, Jackson, Childress, [Andrews for return ?], Kight, Musinski, Stone, Smith

DL - stronger
....Last year - Hill, Klecko, Wright, Bailey, Thomas, Sverchek, Pili
....This year - Hill, Klecko, Wright, Sullivan, Smith, Thomas
LB - stronger IF Banta-Cain steps up - for sure deeper choice in young players
....Last year - McGinest, Beisel, Brown, Chattham, Mallard .. Alexander, Steen, Torrey
....This year - Beisel, Brown, Seau, Gardner, Woods, Mincey, Alexander, Roach
CB - stronger
....Last year - Starks, Poole, Scott, Poteat
....This year - Hawkins, Warfield, Scott, Poteat
S - stronger
....Last year - Scott, Sanders, Reid, Ventrone
....This year - Scott, Sanders, Jones, Ventrone, Andrews

Now isn't THAT interesting ?

patsox23

overall, they COULD be as deep as ever. But they feel dangerously thin at LB and not so great at WR, imo.

zippo59

If Branch, Jackson, and Bruschi get back, and Seau is serviceable, then I agree that this is the deepest team ever.

__________________
"What Tom Brady just did gives me goose bumps."-John Madden after final drive in SB 36


To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


Unofficial Kevin Faulk supporter.

tdw777

what he said

Underoath

first of all, you didnt even mention Samuel for CB

second of all, how the HELL, are we deeper at LB??

third: once, again, how are we deeper at receiver? that's one of the most retarded things i've ever heard

last year: Davis, Dwight, Givens, Branch, Brown, Johnson
this year: Brown, Jackson, Branch, Caldwell, Childress.

yeah, we're definitly deeper at receiver.

patsfan13

Overall deeper, currently you can't say that LB and WR is deeper, but I'll live with the potential upside of the groups at LB and WR. I hope we have a year with a 'normal' number of injuries.

__________________
"Some guys play in all-star games, some guys don't. I don't know who picks all those all-star teams. In all honesty, I don't know who picks the combine, for that matter," Belichick said. "How does (Miami-Ohio offensive lineman Brandon) Brooks not get invited to the combine? How did Vollmer not get invited to the combine? I don't know. We can't really worry about that. We just have to try to evaluate them the best we can."

shakadave

I say less deep than the last two Super Bowl years, sometimes with better starters. We're screwed if the usual heap of injuries happen at

a) starting QB
b) linebacker
c) RB
d) CB
e) Wilfork or Seymour
f) WR

That's a whole lot of breath-holding we'll have to do!

__________________
Please, God, don't let us ever suck as bad as the 2011 Cowboys did in the Jets opener.
* * * * *
"I got a little shine on and showed you guys a little taste of my speed."

----Vince Wilfork, Jan. 7, 2007

arrellbee

Starters who are returning are left out of all of the positions - they are presumed constant from last year to this. What we are looking at is the DEPTH beneath the starters.

If you reread the post, it says:
"stronger IF Banta-Cain steps up - for sure deeper choice in young players"
Between last year and this you lose McGinest and effectively replace him with Banta-Cain. Therefore: "IF" Banta-Cain steps up to approximate McGinest production, the starters are approximately as strong as last year. "IF" Banta-Cain does not step up and his youth doesn't make up a little bit for McGinest slowing speed but crafty experience, then they WON'T be as strong. That's what "IF" means. If you think there is no chance that Banta-Cain can step up, you have to look back and remember all of the losses that were going to "kill" the Pats and see the younger players who stepped right up and did as well or better - that's established history.

And the main point is COMPARISON of depth (not evaluating whether the depth is strong). Leaving out McGinest / Banta-Cain, look again at the comparison:
....Last year - Beisel, Brown, Chattham, Mallard .. Alexander, Steen, Torrey
....This year - Beisel, Brown, Seau, Gardner, Woods, Mincey, Alexander, Roach
Now what is your honest opinion comparing Chattham and Mallard versus Seau (even aging), Gardner, and Woods or Mincey ??


OK, first of all the assumption is that Branch returns. So you leave out Branch and Brown since they are holdovers.

So you compare:
...last year: Givens, Davis, Dwight, Johnson, Sam, Terrell, Childress, Anderson
...this year: Caldwell, Jackson, Childress, [Andrews for return ?], Kight, Musinski, Stone, Smith

So it's kind of retarded to say it's retarded to think:
"COULD be a little stronger ?? - not as veteran or as proven"
That doesn't say it IS stronger - just that it COULD be a little stronger question mark question mark

How could it be a little stronger ? What about if Caldwell or Jackson can provide as much production as Givens ? Or what if both Caldwell and Jackson prove to be legitimate #2 WR - you compare that with Davis or Dwight last year as the first depth below Givens ? That is not far fetched at all. While some folks think Caldwell could even get cut, there are a number of other folks who think Caldwell may have been the top NFL potential receiver in this years draft. If that were to be the case, do you really think that this WR corps wouldn't be stronger ?

Just asking.

But I, for one, am really looking forward to see what happens out on the field this year.

jczxohn1

To me, the key at LB is if Seau can fill the ILB position as a run-stopper and let Tedy get back to his old spot and Vrabel take McGinest's place, at least on 1st and 2nd down. No problem with TBC rushing and Vrabel inside on passing downs.

__________________
Felger started his question, "Correct me if I'm wrong," BB quickly interjected, "I can't wait--"


``The officials now are evaluating the players and their performance, I mean, that's great,'' Belichick deadpanned. ``I can't say how much that means to me, really.''

brady2brown

This seems a little harsh, doesn't it? Last year we were basically three deep at WR (Branch Givens Brown).

Assuming Branch will be back to play sometime this year, Why couldn't Branch Jackson Caldwell Brown be deeper?

I understand that opinions vary, and this is debatable, and we may not be deeper, but how is this one of the most retarded things you have ever heard?